Can arranging machine



Sept. 3, 1963 c. H. NEER 3,102,628

CAN ARRANGING MACHINE Filed May 51, 1961 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 s 37 INVENTOR a C/I/fOrd H. Nee-r F'lg.

Sept. 3, 1963 c. H. NEER 3, ,628

CAN ARRANGING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 31, 1961 .2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY p 1963 c. H. NEER 3,102,628

CAN ARRANGING MACHINE Filed May 31, 1961 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 P 1963 c. H. NEER 3,102,628

CAN ARRANGING MACHINE Filed May 31, 1961 a SheetS-Sheet 4 P 3, 1963 c. H. NEER 3,102,628

CAN ARRANGING MACHINE INVENTOR C'llfford'H. Neer ATTORNEY Sept. 3, 1963 c. H. NEER 3,102,628

CAN ARRANGING MACHINE Filed May 51, 1961 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 '7 INVENTOR i C7 d H /7 I I: #07- ea?" 24- WW- Q "F ATTORNEY Sept. 3, 1963 c. H. NEER CAN ARRANGI'NG MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed May 31, 1961 ATTORNEY 3 7 .Q 1 I L H. am% a T. I

Sept. 3, 1963 I c. H. NEER 3,102,623

CAN ARRANGING MACHINE I Filed May 31, 1961 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENT OR C'hf/Orcl H. flee? Unitd States atent 3,102,628 Patented Sept. 3, 1963 ice This invention relates to a can row dividing and arranging machine that may be used in connection with a machine for filling cases or cartons with cans that have previously been filled and labeled, in preparation for storage or shipment. Such machines :are comprised of a single way or track over which the cans roll to a divider and arranger where they may be arranged in a plurality of rolling lines side by side and in tiers so that they may be placed in cases or cartons of varying size.

The machine is an improvement over those shown in Patents No. 2,646,156, July 21, 1953, and No. 2,978,091, April 4, 1961.

One object of the invention is to make a maohine that will arrange the cans both side by side and in tiers of three or four rows and in which the number of rows may be varied according to the size of the cases to be filled.

Another object of the invention is to make a machine that will operate very rapidly and that will not crush or otherwise injure the cans even if the labels on them should become loose and cause the cans to adhere one to the other.

Another object of the invention is to not only move the cans positively but to retain control of the cans in their movement so that when the machine is operating rapidly there is no danger of throwing the cans. by the rapid movement so as to lose control of them.

Another object of the invention is to compact the cans together in continuous lines after they have been separated from their continuity, by their axial spacing, to make a plurality of lines.

In the machine of the present invention cans are rolled to line divider mechanisms or elevator dividers. in a single line trom 'a labeling or can filling machine or the like and in the divider they first pass down into and around the lower end or boot of an elevator which has flights so spaced that one can passes between each two flights. Guide plates "are on both sides of the upper run of the conveyor and parallel to it to maintain the cans securely on the flights which are long enough to hold two cans axially spaced thereon. When the cans are so held they are contacted by an endwise or axial distributor which pushes from the vertical line of entry designated cans while on the flights to one or more other vertical lines. This pushing mechanism or spacer is on an endless chain mounted parallel to the flights and their path of movement and it moves in synchronism with the flights and is in the form of a projecting pusher which extends between the flights and in the path of the ascending cans to push the cans over, axially, on the flights. The pushers are so spaced on their carrying chain as to push alternate cans over or other orders of movement might be selected. Since sometimes the labels on the cans may have been afiixed so recently, they at times become detached and a length of the label falls down and adheres to the can below so that when one can is pushed axially there is a tendency to move the other can when a partially detached label holds the cans together. A stop is provided on the flights of the conveyor for the row or group of cans that are not to be moved axially, the group that is to maintain its initial row as placed in the elevator conveyor.

After the cans have been spaced in rows on their respective flights, certain of the flights in each row then have no can present and another object of the invention is to pass the cans from their initial divider conveyor to another conveyor where the cans are compacted again so that each flight in each row has thereon a can. This second conveyor operates at a slower speed than the first conveyor, the speed being proportioned to the variations in the number of'oans between the first and second conveyor. The cans are then discharged from the second conveyor into the same number of rows abreast as there are rows in the conveyor. The machine is designed to distribute the cans in four tiers but by a very slight adjustment it can be adjusted to divide the cans into three tiers of two rows each. The cans may then be passed into a carton by a mechanism similar to that shown in Patent No. 2,559,655, July 10, 1951.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a rear elevational view of the top portion of the machine.

FIGURE 2 is a similar view of the lower portion of the machine.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the top of the machine taken from the right of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a similar view of the lower portion of the machine.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the portion of the machine not shown in the lower hand corner of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a vertical sectional view of the lower end of the machine similar to FIGURE 2 showing the can being pushed axially.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary vertical section showing the axial movement of a can bearing a (faulty label.

FIGURE 8 is a fnagmentary side sectional view on line 83 of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary rear elevationel view showing the transfer of the cans from one elevator to the other.

FIGURE 10 is a side sectional view on line 10-10 of FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 11 is a transverse sectional view on line 111l of FIGURE 10.

FIGURE '12 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the mechanism to change the speed of the upper conveyor shown in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 13 is a top plan view of the speed change mechanism showing the machine side wall in section.

In the drawings similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Cans 1 are fed to the machine along a single line of ways 2, a lower section of which 3 is mounted on a pivot 4 to give under an accumulation of cans against the influence of a spring 5 attached to the lower portion or boot 6 of the elevator as shown at 7. Ways 2 are on the right side of the front '8 of the line divider 9 composed of a framework of plates, bars and angles bolted together as shown, the side plates 10 having thereon bearings 11 mounting the sprockets 12 with the elevator conveyor 13 having the flights 1'4 thereon, which are of a length to hold two cans lengthwise or axially of each other. The conveyors 13 have tension adjusters 15 on each side of the framework.

As the cans pass around the lower end or boot 6 of the elevator divider, they ride along guides 16 and a vertical guide is interposed at 17, so as they pass around the guides .16 they are pushed or rolled by the flights 14, one can being between each pair of flights. The guides 16 leave their circular course at 1 8 where guides 16 join their vertical course guides 19. At this point the cans are rolled to the light as shown in FIGURE 4 on flights against guide 17. As the cans ascend rolling on the guide 17 they are also between this guide 17 and the upper guide 20 and they are ascending in a single vertical line or row on the right side of the machine as they entered. Guide 17 is wide enough to retain as many rows of cans as the machine is designed to hold and the line divider comprises a chain 21 mounted on two vertically spaced sprockets 22 and bow sprocket 23 to hold the chain in a path parallel to that of the conveyor 13 and its flights 14 in their vertical movement. Lower sprocket 22 has a chain tightener Z4 therefor. The sprockets 22 are mounted on the side plate in and sprocket 23 is mounted on intermediate plate 25 extending between the respective side plates of the conveyor. The divider chain 21 has pins or pushers 26 extending inwardly from the face thereof into the path of the can 1 riding on the guides 17 and carried by the flights 14.

As shown in FIGURES 7 and 8 the cans 1 have labels 27 thereon and should these labels not be securely glued around the can they might fall down as shown at 28 and in this position might adhere to the lower can as shown at FIGURES 7 and 8. To avoid injury due to that possibility that the pushed cans moved by the dividing pin or pusher 26 should carry with it the lower can, pins 29 are placed on certain of the flights 14 as Shown in FIGURE 7. These pins 29 retain the alignment of the unpushed cans on the flights between the guides 17 and 20. Should the label on the unpushed can be the free one, then the lower can to which this misplaced label adheres may still be firmly pushed by the next divider as it comes around and the can ascends as shown in FIGURE 7 and yet the can will be pushed over to the new line or row so that the only result will be spoiled labels rather than injured cans as they ascend the divider in two rows, divided by the line or row divider. It will be apparent that as the cans do ascend there will be in each row one-half as many cans as there were initially with the flights carrying the spaced rows upwardly thereon.

Adjacent the top of the initial conveyor 13 is a similar conveyor 30 having similar flights 3'1 thereon which are likewise long enouhg to hold the number, of rows of cans that ascend pushed by the first conveyor. The second conveyor 39 is driven at one-half the speed of the first conveyor since a can is to be placed on each flight and since every other flight in the first conveyor is loaded with a can. Guides 32 and 33 are mounted as a continuation of the guide 17 and at their upper ends, push the cans outwardly rolling them over the flights 14 and over the flights 31 on the conveyor 30 and onto guides 34 of the upper conveyor. Further guides 35 serve to hold the cans on the second conveyor. As is shown in FIGURE 9 the upper ends of guides 33 are higher than the upper ends of guides 32 and the flights on the conveyors are so positioned and their timing is so spaced that as a can is raised by the conveyor 13, as shown in FIGURE 10 and is pushed oil by guide 32 on the left hand side of FIGURE 9 and as it rises on the flight 31 of the conveyor 36, another can is raised on the right hand side of conveyor 13 as shown in FIGURE 9 to the upper end of the guide 33 where it is discharged beside or axially to the can previously discharged by the guide 32, so that the cans enter the conveyor 30 two on each flight arranged end to end as they pass between the end guides 36, having been pushed over and resting against guide 34 as they are propelled by flights 31. The cans the proceed around the upper end of the conveyor, the conveyor 30 being mounted on sprockets 37 and the can then descends riding on guide 38 on the reverse side of the upper sprockets 37.

Superimposed ways 41, 42, 43 and 44 project out from the rear of the machine, being held on the side plates 10 of the framework and they are mounted in two rows, side by side, to receive the cans from the conveyor 3! Plates or pushers 45, 46 and 47 are mounted on shafts tween them in openings 90 and 91.

48, 49 and 50 and as they are actuated together, they push their respective pair of cans from the flights 31 to the ways 41, 42 and 43. The lowest way 44 has its pair of cans pushed from the conveyor 33 by the guides 51.

The shafts 48, 49 and 50 are actuated by rocker arms 52, 53, 54 and 55,. the rocker arm 55 has thereon a follower 56 riding on cam 57. Rocker arms 54 and 55 are connected by link 5'3 which has thereon'pin 59 connected with spring 6t} which at its lower end is connected to pin 61 on the side plate ll] of the machine to hold the link down except when pushed up by the cam 57. The shaft 49 extends through the machine to the other side where its rocker arm 53 may be connected by link 62 to rocker arm 52. As shown in FIGURE 3 this link 62 is not connected with its rocker arm 53, but is rather connected to a pin 63 on the side of the machine to render the upper pusher 45 inoperative, in which event only the three lower runways will receive cans from the conveyor 30'. When however the link 62 is connected to rocker arm 53 all four sloping runways receive cans from the conveyor since every flight of the conveyor has cans thereon. The active pushers and the guide 51 remove cans from the conveyor to the superimposed ways.

The conveyors are driven by a motor 65 through means of belt 66 with variable speed driving mechanisms 67 and '68 through means of chain 69 leading to sprocket 70 on shaft 71 which also has thereon gear 72 driving gear 73 on shaft 74 on which the upper sprockets 12 of the lower conveyor '13 are mounted. Driving shaft 71 also has thereon sprocket 75, driving chain 76, sprocket 77 on shaft 73, carrying upper sprockets 37 of conveyor 30. Shaft 74 also has thereon sprocket 79' driving chain 80, driving sprocket 81 on shaft 82, hearing keyed sprocket 83 and freely mounted sprocket 84. Sprocket 83 drives chain 85, driving freely mounted sprocket 86 on shaft 87 which also has thereon keyed sprocket 88. Shaft 87 passes through the machine and bears cam 57. When all three pushers 45, 46 and 47 are operated by connecting link 62 to arm 53, screw 89 is removed from between sprocket 83 and 84;

sprockets 88 and 86 are rotated 90 relatively to each other and locked together by screw 89 being inserted be- Then sprocket 83 drives sprocket 86 directly, and all rows are filled. As shown with pusher 45 locked out and sprockets 8 3 and 84 locked together, however, the pushers operate faster, shaft '87 is driven by small sprockets 88 from sprocket 84 and three rows only receive all the cans, the cam runs onefourth faster to fill three rows than when four rows are filled.

The line dividing chain 21 is driven from shaft 71 by sprocket 92 thereon, chain 93 passing around idler 94 on its way to sprocket 95 on shaft '96 mounting gear 97 driving gear 98 on shaft 99 having thereon upper sprocket 22.

It will be apparent that many modifications and changes may be made in the illustrated form of the structure de scribed and shown in the drawings without departing from the invention.

What is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a can arnanging machine comprising a distributor, means to feed a continuous line of cans to the distributor, said distributor comprising an endless conveyor mounted on sprockets at each end thereof and having flights thereon and having in its path an upwardly directed substantially vertical course and a curved course around the sprockets at the conveyor lower end, guides parallel to the flights on opposite sides of the conveyor along adjacent parts of said courses on which the cans ride while propelled by the conveyor, the feeding means feeding a can to each flight, means to tilt the cans from one guide to the other and means moving parallel to said last named-guide to separate the cans on the separate flights to different paths of travel for continued riding on said last named guide propelled by the conveyor.

2. A can arranging machine comprising a distributor,

means to feed a continuous single line of cans to the distributor, said distributor comprising an endless conveyor having flights thereon and having in its path an upwardly directed substantially vertical course, a guide parallel to the flights on one side of the conveyor along said course on which the cans ride while propelled by the conveyor, the feeding means feeding a can to each flight, means moving parallel to said guide engaging spaced cans in said vertical course to move them to position the cans received in the vertical course in a single line to a plurality of lines for continued riding on said guide propelled 'by the conveyor.

3. In a can arranging machine comprising a distributor, means to feed a continuous line of cans to the distributor, said distributor comprising an endless conveyor having flights thereon and having in its path an upwardly directed substantially vertical course, a guide panallel to the flights on one side of the conveyor along said course on which the cans ride while propelled by the conveyor, the feeding means feeding a can to each flight, means moving parallel to said guide within said vertical course to move uniformly repeating numbers of cans on the flights to a path of travel separate from the other cans for continued riding on said guide propelled by the conveyor.

4. In a can ditsributor, an endless conveyor moving in a closed substantially vertical loop, horizontal flights on the conveyor of a length to hold on each a plurality of cans with taxes parallel to the flights, means to feed a single line of cans to each flight of said conveyor, means driven in synchronism with the conveyor and moving adjacent and lengthwise across the flights thereof to space cans axial-1y thereon in a selected sequence from one line to plural lines on the flights for continued movement thereby.

5. The distributor of claim 4 including a plurality of inclined ways spaced side ways at their upper ends for the rolling of cans thereon, means adjacent the upper ends of said ways and extending to the flights of said conveyor holding the plural lines of cans, to receive the cans from the plural lines and to close the spaces between cans in each line caused by the separation of cans from one into plural lines and discharge them in compact sequence to said several ways.

6. The distributor of claim 4 including means on the flights bearing cans not selected for movement into other lines to maintain them in the line of their initial positioning.

7. The distributor of claim 4 including guides on both sides of said flights to maintain the cans thereon during their spacing into plural lines.

8. In a can distributor, an endless conveyor moving in a closed substantially vertical loop, horizontal flights on the conveyor of a length to hold on each a plurality of cans with axes parallel to the flights, means to feed a single line of cans to each flight of said conveyor, an endless pusher chain mounted in the distributor parallel with the path of movement of the flights having spaced pushers thereon moving angularly across the path of the flights and lengthwise thereof in the path of cans on the flights, means to drive said chain in synchronisrn with the movement of the flights to displace selected cans thereon axially from a single line to plural lines on the flights for continued movement thereby.

9. A can arranging machine comprising a distributor, means to feed a continuous single line of cans to the distributor, said distributor comprising a pair of endless conveyors having spaced flights thereon, each having in their path an upwardly directed substantially vertical course, the vertical course of the first overlapping the vertical course of the second, the feeding means feeding a can to each flight of the first conveyor, means to move cans on the first conveyor from a single :line to plural lines and means to discharge the plural lines of cans to plural lines of the second conveyor and to close the spaces between cans in each line caused by the separation of cans from one into plural lines to place a can on each flight of the second conveyor.

10. The distributor of claim 9 in which the speed of the first conveyor bears the same proportion to that of the second conveyor as the number of lines discharged from the first conveyor bears to one.

11. A can arranging mechanism for changing a single line of cans into a plurality of lines, the mechanism having a single line inlet path and a pair of outlet paths, the pair of outlet paths merging at their inner ends with the single line path, conveyors in said mechanism for moving the cans therethrough, from the single line inlet path to the pair of outlet paths, means for dividing the cans in the single line path to the pair of outlet paths by moving selected cans axially on one conveyor to divide them into a pair of lines and transferring the pair of lines of cans to a second conveyor and to close the spaces between cans in each line caused by the separation of cans from one into a pair of lines to deliver them to the pair of outlet paths compacted on the second conveyor.

12. In a can arranging machine, a distributor, means to feed a continuous line of cans to the distributor, the distributor comprising an endless conveyor having a substantially vertical course in its path, flights on the conveyor of a length to hold on each a plurality of cans with axes parallel to the flights, means to space the fed cans in a selected order axially on said flights into a plurality of rows, means to compact each separate row of cans and to discharge the compacted rows from the distributor.

'13. The distributor of claim 12 in which the rows discharged from the distributor are both side-by-side and superimposed.

14. A can elevator and arranger comprising first and second endless conveyors having flights thereon with portions of their courses being substantially vertical and facing each other and both carrying a plurality of rows of cans, means to transfer cans from the first to the second conveyor to continue their upward movement, cans in the second conveyor being compacted by said transfer means to one for each flight in each row when transferred from the first to the second conveyor.

15. The can elevator and arranger of claim 14 in which the transfer means comprise guides adjacent the first conveyor, one for each row of cans therein.

16. In a can arranging machine, a plurality of inclined Ways for the rolling of cans thereon superimposed at their upper ends, a distributor adjacent the said upper ends of said ways, means to place a continuous line of cans in said distributor, said distributor comprising guides, a power driven conveyor having flights thereon, each flight receiving a can from said means, said conveyor cooperating with said guides carrying a can to adjacent the upper ends of each of said 'Ways and means in said distributor to periodically discharge adjacent cans from said conveyor to different ones of said inclined ways, certain of said discharge means comprising continuously reciprocating pushers timed to contact and push its respective can from said conveyor to the adjacent inclined way, means to disconnect one of said pushers from its operating means adjacent one way, and means to increase the speed of the operation of the remaining pushers to empty the conveyor into the other of said ways than the one opposite the deactivated pusher.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,978,091 Henthorn Apr. 4, 1961 

1. IN A CAN ARRANGING MACHINE COMPRISING A DISTRIBUTOR, MEANS TO FEED A CONTINUOUS LINE OF CANS TO THE DISTRIBUTOR, SAID DISTRIBUTOR COMPRISING AN ENDLESS CONVEYOR MOUNTED ON SPROCKETS AT EACH END THEREOF AND HAVING FLIGHTS THEREON AND HAVING IN ITS PATH AN UPWARDLY DIRECTED SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL COURSE AND A CURVED COURSE AROUND THE SPROCKETS AT THE CONVEYOR LOWER END, GUIDES PARALLEL TO THE FLIGHTS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE CONVEYOR ALONG ADJACENT PARTS OF SAID COURSES ON WHICH THE CANS RIDE WHILE PROPELLED BY THE CONVEYOR, THE FEEDING MEANS FEEDING A CAN TO EACH AND MEANS MOVING PARRALLEL TO SAID LAST NAMED GUIDE TO FLIGHT, MEANS TO TILT THE CANS FROM ONE GUIDE TO THE OTHER SEPARATE THE CANS ON THE SEPARATE FLIGHTS TO DIFFERENT PATHS OF TRAVEL FOR CONTINUED RIDING ON SAID LAST NAMED GUIDE PROPELLED BY THE CONVEYOR. 